My comment in Parliament that I will present my resignation if a new Labour government fails to extract oil shows the Labour Party's unambiguous and determined commitment to fulfill its promises to the people of this country. Nevertheless, Robert Musumeci's contribution to The Times, labelled Oil Myths (November 14), and the PN-run media seem disturbed with such a pledge and the serious approach to local politics. They resort to mocking what they cannot comprehend. The PN's reaction is understandable in its present dismal circumstances. The words "resignation" and "commitment to fulfill promises" are not only missing from their political vocabulary and are incomprehensible to them but these words are like anathema to their ears.

Mr Musumeci should not ask whether I am implying that the present PN administration is deliberately failing to find oil, but why our country remains the only country in the central Mediterranean region that does not extract oil, despite our sizeable maritime territories and very good petroleum plays. This fact stands as a sore thumb in the PN's failed record in oil exploration.

Mr Musumeci also asks whether the subject of oil exploration comes in the public domain when an election is nearing. This comment should be directed to Minister Ninu Zammit, who is responsible for oil exploration. The recent announcement on oil exploration activity in blocks 4 and 5 seems to be timed prior to pending elections, and only serves to heighten expectations of wealth, and increase investments in the oil companies, which only boosts oil exploration elsewhere.

Blocks 4 and 5 have already been investigated by means of 2D seismic tests, when potential reservoir rocks were identified. However, the blocks lie at considerable distance from the known source rock in the Ragusa basin in Southern Sicily. Texaco carried out a 2D seismic survey in 1991 and claimed that the Ragusa basin source rock extends to blocks 4 and 5, although no well was drilled to confirm this. Their interpretation failed to convince and Texaco could not farm out its claim to a company willing to actually drill a well in the area.

Interestingly, two years later, a Unesco learned publication makes no reference to source rocks or the Ragusa basin extending to this area! Instead, this publication (with the Malta official imprimatur) links the potential reservoir rocks to geological events unrelated to the productive Ragusa basin.

A few months ago, the government contracted Global Petroleum to investigate blocks 4 and 5 and the myth of the productive Ragusa basin extending to this area was revived in the hope of raising expectations again. Now that Mr Musumeci seems to have attained expertise on the oil exploration subject, can he perhaps clarify the government's oil myths and their strong tinge of pre-electoral political opportunism?

In today's tough economic times, the people of this country want their future founded on realities not myths. The MLP's commitment to oil exploration speaks for itself. During the short-lived Labour administration (1996-98) we did not procrastinate to drill the Gozo well. In those days the PN's heavy pre-electoral propaganda was mainly targeted to cover up and neglect the positive results on the extraction of oil in Malta, yet, just a few weeks after the PN returned to power, drilling was not halted immediately but was given the green light to proceed. Today, the MLP is promising that when it is returned to power it will continue from where it was untimely halted.

Mr Mizzi is the MLP main spokesman for infrastructural services.

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